Noordin M. Top accomplice sentenced to 3 years

TEMANGGUNG, Central Java: A district court sentenced Aris Ma'ruf, an accomplice to late Malaysian-born terror suspect Noordin M. Top, to three years in prison on Thursday for harboring terrorists.

The court also confiscated a gun, a suitcase and explosives to be destroyed. Earlier, prosecutors had sought a five-year prison sentence for the 24-year-old man who voluntarily surrendered to police in January last year.

Aris' lawyer, Hermin Widiningsih, said she would not file an appeal. "Basically, the accused accepts the sentence because it is the minimum term specified in the terrorism law," she was quoted as saying by Antara news agency.

Aris was charged with harboring accomplices of Noordin, including Baharudin Saleh, Gempur Budi Angkoro - both killed during police raids - and Mustaghfirin. Noordin was killed in a police raid in Central Java last year. - JP